Pressure controlling device for pulp producing apparatus and the like



June 14, 1955 H. s. MESSING 2,710,726

' PRESSURE CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR PULP PRODUCING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 16, 1951 s 25 27:10 a? Q a P" F|G.| Z7

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PRESSURE CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR PULP -PRODUCING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Hjalmar S. Messing, New York, N. Y., assignor to American Defibrator Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 16, 1951, Serial No. 242,156

6 Claims. (Cl. 241--256) This invention relates to apparatus for the production of pulp from ligno-cellulose materials, such as wood chips, and more particularly to the production of pulp by what is termed a mechanical process. More especially, the invention relates to improvements in the type of apparatus known as an Asplund Defibrator and shown in the Asplund Patent No. 2,145,851, dated February 9, 1939.

In such apparatus is employed a pair of grinding discs, one of said discs being stationary and the other rotative and also axially adjustable to thereby regulate the spacing between the two discs. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved means for setting the position of the movable disc relative to the fixed disc and to also provide an improved means by which said movable disc will be resiliently sprung away from the fixed disc when a rock or other hard object gets into the apparatus and finds its way between the discs. It is another object of the invention to provide means of this kind by which the movable disc can be moved a substantially large distance under pressure of foreign matter entering between the discs, but without disturbing the normal spacing-apart of the discs and which spacing is restored immediately after the object between the discs becomes dislodged.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter described, I have devised the particular arrangement of parts to be set forth below and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one end of a defibrator of the Asplund type, to which my improved adjusting and disc-separating means has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the adjustment-indicating means;

Fig. 3 is a view of the structure of Fig. 1, looking at the left end of the same, but with the adjusting wheel removed.

' Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings, 1 indicates the base portion of a defibrator of the Asplund type, on which is mounted a bearing support or pedestal 2, carrying a bearing 3 in which the shaft 4 is rotative and the bearing is axially movable or adjustable in the support 2 in company with the shaft. The shaft 4 is also supported adjacent to its opposite end in one or more additional bearings not shown, and in which it is understood that said shaft is also longitudinally adjustable by the adjusting means to be described. At its end remote from the structure shown in Fig. l, the shaft carries a grinding disc, such as shown in the Asplund Patent No. 2,145,851 for cooperation with a fixed grinding disc as also shown in said patent. by belts 5 extending from the pulley of an electric motor, and which belts extend about the drum 6 secured on the shaft 4.

It is desirable to be able to regulate the spacing between the two grinding discs, and for this purpose the 'ice shaft 4 and its bearing 3 is made longitudinally adjustable, thereby moving the disc that is carried by it, to

Shaft 4 is rotatively driven or from the fixed disc. On the end of the bearing 3 is provided a pair of lugs 7 in which a lever 8 is pivotally mounted at 9, said lever having its upper end pivotally connected at 10 to one end of a twin link 11 having its opposite end pivotally attached at 12 to a pointer 13. Said pointer is pivoted at its upper end on the pin 14 extending from an arm 15 projecting from a bracket 16 mounted at the top of the bearing support or pedestal 2. The pointed end 17 (Fig. 2) of the pointer or indicator 13 is movable across the calibrations 18 provided on a plate 19 secured to and extending downwardly from the arm 15.

The plate 19 has a spaced companion or duplicate plate 20 facing the opposite side of the machine, and link 11 is also in duplicate, as indicated at 21 to operate a pointer 22 across the plate 20 so that the adjustment of the shaft 4 and the grinding disc which it carries, can be observed on either side of the machine.

Pivotally mounted on the pivot pin 14 between the two sections of the arm 15, is the upper end of a lever 23 which is clevised at its lower end, as indicated at 24 in Fig. 3, to pivotally receive a block 25 which is internally threaded to threadably receive an adjusting shaft 26,

threaded through a fixed block 27 mounted between the two spaced-apart plates 19 and 20. Lever 23 is also pivotally attached to links 11 and 21 by means of the pin 12. Secured on the adjusting shaft 26 is a hand wheel 28 by which the shaft 26 is rotated, and a locking wheel 29 is adjustable on the shaft 26 to thereby lock the same and hence set the longitudinally-adjusted position of the shaft 4 at any desired point as indicated by the pointers 13 and 22 to thereby secure the required spacing of the grinding discs.

The resilient means for permitting the required separation of the discs when necessary, will now be described. Extending from one side of the bearing support or pedestal 2 is a bracket 30 to which is attached a dependent lug 31 supporting a toggle. Said toggle includes a pair of links 31 and 32 pivotally connected together on a pivot pin 33 extending from a block 34 secured on a rod 35. The upper end of link 31 is pivoted at 35 on the lug 31. A second pair of links is shown at 36 and 3"], the same being connected at one end by the pivot 38 to a block 39 that is slidable on the rod 35. The upper end of the link 36 is pivoted at 35, and the lower ends of the links 32 and 37 are pivotally attached at 40 to one end of an arm 41 secured on a shaft 42 rotative in bearing 43 mounted on and projecting from the vase 1 of the machine.

Surrounding the rod 35 is a coil spring 44, the tension of which is regulated by an adjusting nut 45 to an extent to normally urge the block 39 against the block 34 to thereby hold the toggle in its closed position substantially as shown in Fig. 1.

Secured on the shaft 42 is an upwardly-directed arm 46 having its upper end pivoted at 47 to one end of a link 48, which has its opposite end pivoted at 49 to the lower end of the lever 8.

From the foregoing, the operation of the structure thus far described will be readily understood. To adjust the shaft 4 longitudinally, and hence regulate the spacing between the grinding disc carried by that shaft and the fixed disc with which it cooperates, the threaded adjusting shaft 26 is rotated by turning the hand wheel 28 to the proper extent and in the desired direction, after having first loosened the locking wheel 29. Rotative movement of the wheel 28 will move the shaft 26 longitudinally, causing the lever 23 to be pivoted on its pivot 14 to thereby exert a push or pull as required on links 11 and 21 to cause such links to correspondingly push or pull lever 8 through the connection 10 thereto. Lever 8 is at this time pivotal on the pivot 4-9 and through its connection to the bearing 3 it will move the same and the shaft 4, to the required extent according to the extent of rotation of the hand wheel 28 and as designated by the pointers 13 and 22. When the desired adjustment of the shaft 4 is attained, the locking wheel 29 is then turned to bring it into contact with the block 27 and the adjustment will be retained indefinitely.

Should a stone or other foreign object enter between the grinding discs the shaft 4' will be moved longitudinally and in so moving, the shaft will exert a push on the pivot pin 9, causing lever 8 to be then swung on its upper pivot 10, and the toggle caused to open under the force applied by the lower end of the lever 8 through the link 48 and arms 46 and 41 to the toggle links. This opening or spreading movement of the several links 31, 32, 36 and 37 will cause movement of the sliding block 39 in a direction. away from the block 34, such sliding movement being resilient opposed to or dampened by the spring 44, which will, after the stone or other obstacle has passed from between the grinding discs, restore the toggle to its closed position of Fig. l and the shaft and grinding disc carried by it to the adjusted position as indicated by the pointers 13 and 22.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that while the shaft 4 and its disc is free to move endwisely as required under an emergency, the resilient means permitting such movement is such as not to alter the predetermined or adjusted spacing of the grinding discs.

Having described two embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described and in which is employed a longitudinally movable shaft carrying a grinding disc, the improvements consisting in a lever pivoted midway between its ends to one end of the shaft, a. linkage attached to one end of the lever, said linkage including an adjusting shaft and means for manually adjusting the same to cause the lever to move the shaft longitudinally for a predetermined extent, a second linkage attached to the second end of the lever, said second linkage including a spring-actuated toggle operative expansively in opposition to its spring when unusual pressure is imposed upon the disc carried by the shaft to thereby permit longitudinal shifting movement of the shaft.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, and in l which is employed a longitudinally movable shaft carrying a grinding disc, the improvements consisting in a lever pivoted at one end of said shaft, one end of the lever being pivotally connected to a manually-actuated linkage iii) for moving the shaft longitudinally to a predetermined position of adjustment, a toggle and linkage connecting the same to a second end of the lever, spring means for normally holding the toggle in a closed position by permitting opening movement of the toggle when excess pressure is imposed on the shaft, the last-mentioned linkage, toggle and spring means permitting longitudinal adjustment of the shaft by the manually-actuated linkage.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a support, a bearing axially adjustable in said support, a shaft adjustable axially along with said bearing, lugs on the end of the bearing, a lever pivoted between its ends in said lugs, a threaded adjusting shaft rotatively adjustable in the support, manual means for rotatively adjusting said adjusting shaft, a linkage interposed between said adjusting shaft and one end of the lever by means of which the shaft is adjusted to a selected position by manual operation of the adjusting means, said linkage including an indicator for designating predetermined adjusted positions of the shaft, a toggle connected to said support, a linkage connection between the toggle and the second end of the lever, said toggle including spring means for normally closing the toggle and maintaining the same in such closed position and permitting opening of the toggle in resistance to such spring means upon imposition of pressure sufficient to cause the shaft to be moved longitudinally.

4. In an apparatus of the character described and in which is employed a longitudinally movable shaft carrying a grinding disk, the improvements consisting in a lever pivoted between its ends to the shaft, a bearing sup port for the shaft, a bracket mounted on the bearing support, an adjusting lever pivoted adjacent one end to the bracket, an adjusting screw pivotally and rotatively secured at the lower end of the adjusting lever, means on the bracket in which said adjusting screw is adjustable, a link extending between the adjusting lever and the lever, a toggle mounted on the bearing support, linkage connecting said toggle with the lower end of the lever and a spring carried by the toggle and compressed thereby when the shaft is urged in one direction.

5. In an apparatus of the character described and in which is employed a longitudinally movable shaft carrying a grinding disk, the improvements consisting in a lever pivotally connected between its ends to one end of the shaft, :1 link having one end pivoted to one end of the lever, a bell crank having an arm connected to the second end of the link, a toggle linkage having one end pivotally connected to a second arm of the bell crank, a bearing support for the shaft, the toggle linkage having a second end pivotally attached to the bearing support, a rod extending from the toggle linkage, a spring on the rod adapted to be compressed by the toggle linkage on longitudinal movement of the shaft in one direction, a bracket mounted on the bearing support, an adjusting lever pivoted at one end to the bracket, a link pivoted at one end to the adjusting lever, said link having a second end pivotally attached to the second end of the lever to which the movable shaft is connected, an adjustable rod rotatively secured at one end to the adjusting lever, and means for threadably adjusting the rod in the bracket.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a longitudinally adjustable shaft, a lever connected between its ends to an end of the shaft, a fixed support in which the shaft is adjustable, a threaded. adjusting shaft longitudinally adjustable in the support, manual means for rotatively adjusting said adjusting shaft in the support, an adjusting lever pivoted at one end on the support and pivoted at its other end to the adjusting shaft, a link pivoted at one end to the adjusting lever at a point between the ends of said adjusting lever and pivoted at its other end to one end of the first said lever, a toggle connected to said support, a lever of the bell-crank order pivoted on the support having an end connected to the toggle, a link having an end connected to an arm of the bell-crank and a second end connected to the second end of the first said lever, and spring means for normally closing the toggle and maintaining the same in such closed position and permitting opening of the toggle in resistance to such spring means upon the imposition of pressure sufficient to cause the shaft to be moved longitudinally in the sup port.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,35l,9ll King Sept. 7, 1920 2,098,892 Asplung July 23, 1935 2,244,996 Laird June 10, l94l FOREIGN PATENTS 729,228 France Apr: 25, 1932 

